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The JLS Kestrel is a robotic collate-and-load system for uniform cylindrical food products — snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs, and string cheese. High-speed centrifugal singulation moves product from bulk to single-file presentation, a custom collation conveyor aligns it into rows, and a washdown-capable delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle into thermoformer pockets. Compact footprint, washdown-capable construction, minimal manual handling — a small stylist crew remains for product presentation.
In action
Watch the Kestrel collate and load —
at line speed.
The Kestrel collating and loading stick-format product — centrifugal feeding, collation, and loading in one system.
Why Kestrel
Bulk to package. Minimal touchpoints.
Snack sticks, sausages, and hot dogs are among the hardest products to handle at speed — cylindrical, variable, quick to roll, and often moisture-affected, arriving from bulk in no particular order. Manual singulation and loading are repetitive, hard to staff, and inconsistent. The Kestrel was built to close that gap, taking product from random bulk to accurately collated rows to loaded thermoformer pockets in one continuous, coordinated system.
Random bulk in. Precise placement out. Every Kestrel is configured to your exact product diameter, length, and pack count — so the most physically demanding job on the protein line becomes one of the most reliable.
Applications & Pack Formats
The Kestrel —
washdown-ready collate and load.
Designed for uniform cylindrical food products — snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs, string cheese. Single-file describes how product is presented to the cell; gang-pick means the tooling picks multiple products in one robot cycle, normally placing one product per pocket. Head count — single or dual — is selected during system design to match your rate.
Products Handled
Pack Formats & Configurations
Flight Lab
See the Kestrel run your product
before you commit.
JLS Flight Lab runs your application on a robotic feasibility test system in York, PA. Send product samples — or a close proxy, subject to project scope and availability — and JLS application engineers test tooling for your size and pack pattern and confirm the right test method for centrifugal feeding and pocket replication, so feasibility is established before the design is finalized. Rate and performance are validated during the project FAT before shipment, with final commissioning completed at your facility.
Core Technology
The engineering behind the precision.
Every JLS system is engineered, integrated, programmed, and built in York, Pennsylvania on proven industrial robot and control platforms — from centrifugal feeder engineering to custom collation conveyor design to operator-first controls and software. JLS holds multiple patents across its food-handling portfolio, and it shows in the details: application engineering, configured tooling, real-product testing, 1,000+ installations, and U.S.-based support.
Cleanable to washdown construction
Open-channel stainless frame, sloped surfaces, and NEMA 4X-rated control enclosures — offered in cleanable construction for bakery and dry environments, and full sanitary washdown construction for wet protein. Built for the food zone from day one. Not retrofitted.
Washdown-rated gang-pick delta robotics
High-speed centrifugal singulation and a custom collation conveyor present product in aligned rows at pick pitch — so the washdown-rated delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle and places them directly into thermoformer pockets, with minimal manual handling.
Flexible tooling — mechanical or VOB 2.0
Gang-pick mechanical tooling handles firm cylindrical products like snack sticks and straight sausages; JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 Vacuum on Board tooling handles wet, soft, or irregular product while reducing compressed-air use. Every tool is configured and lab-tested for your exact product.
Fast, tool-less changeover
Select the new recipe on the HMI, swap the end-of-arm tooling by hand, and run. Every purchased, validated SKU is loaded before the system ships; changeover time depends on the application and which components change — EOAT, chutes, bowl-feeder tooling, or collation components.
Single- or dual-head scaling
Match throughput to your line at system design — a single-head robot for standard rates, or a dual-head configuration when the rate demands it. Head count is an engineering decision made during your project design, sized to product, package, and target rate.
Operator HMI & in-house software
Touchscreen interface designed for plant-floor operators — select a validated recipe and run — normal production operation doesn’t require an engineer or robot-programming expertise. JLS programs and supports the application controls on commercially available B&R technology, so new recipes and remote support come directly from the team that programmed your system.
Options & Add-Ons
More ways to fit your line.
Flexible thermoformer integration
Collate and load into the thermoformer already on your floor.
Already have a thermoformer in place? The Kestrel integrates with compatible thermoformers based on application and interface requirements — delivering product at the correct count, pitch, and cycle rate through coordinated mechanical integration and controls communication.
Planning a new line? JLS can coordinate with your thermoformer OEM to support a complete collate-and-load system, with the thermoformer, robot, infeed, and product handling planned together from the start.
Application Engineering & Integration
Configured for your product.
Scalable across your line.
Every Kestrel ships from the same proven platform — configured to your product, count, and pattern, with centrifugal singulation and collation feeding the non-vision delta robot. One team, one facility, one integration.
Specs & Configuration
Kestrel technical specifications.
Configuration snapshot
Kestrel is available in single-head and dual-head configurations. Throughput depends on product diameter, pack count, and target rate — JLS confirms the right configuration during a line assessment.
*Throughput varies by product, pack count, and configuration. Contact JLS for your specific application.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| System type | Centrifugal singulation + collation conveyor + washdown-rated delta robot |
| Products handled | Uniform cylindrical products: meat snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs, string cheese |
| Robot type | Delta robot (4-axis) |
| Pick method | Gang-pick — multiple items per cycle |
| Throughput | Up to 600 ppm (single head)*; multi-head configurations scale beyond — final rate depends on product and package type* |
| Configurations | Single head; dual head (higher throughput) |
| Product size range | Confirmed during the proposal process — depends on product diameter, length, and package type. |
| End-of-arm tooling | Actuated VOB vacuum tooling (multi-pocket loading) |
| Approximate footprint (excl. tunnel guards) | Confirmed during the proposal process — depends on configuration (single- or dual-head). |
| Construction levels | Full sanitary washdown construction |
| Infeed method | High-speed centrifugal singulation |
| Collation | Custom collation conveyor — aligns product into rows at pick pitch |
| Target application | Thermoformer pocket loading (direct placement) |
| Washdown construction | IP69K-rated components; washdown construction |
| Frame construction | Open-channel stainless frame; minimal harborage points |
| Control system | B&R Automation |
| Electrical supply | 480V ±10%, 3-phase, 60Hz |
| Air supply | 80 PSI, clean, dry, lube-free |
| Electrical enclosures | NEMA 4X rated; UL/cUL listed |
| Built | York, PA — engineered, programmed, and tested in-house by JLS |
*Throughput varies by product diameter, pack count, and configuration. Specifications may vary — contact JLS for your specific application.
Where should we send it?
By submitting, you agree that JLS Automation and Robert Reiser & Co. may contact you about your inquiry.
Kestrel vs. the field.
| Feature | Manual loading | Belt-and-rail singulation | Kestrel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singulation method | Operator by hand | Belt and rail guide | Centrifugal — no product contact pinch points |
| Throughput consistency | Variable — depends on operator pace and fatigue | Moderate; sensitive to product size variation | Consistent — automated cycle, every shift |
| Gang-pick loading | Manual — tedious, prone to count errors | Typically single-file only | Delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle |
| Washdown capability | N/A | Varies; often limited | Washdown construction; IP69K-rated components |
| Footprint | Depends on line staffing | Can be long / complex | Compact — centrifugal feeder + short collation conveyor |
| Labor requirement | Multiple operators per shift | Reduced but still requires monitoring | No manual loading position — stylist crew remains for product presentation |
| Product changeover | Immediate but inconsistent | Rail adjustment required | Recipe-driven HMI; tooling swap for size changes |
| Integration | N/A | Upstream only — separate loading step | Singulation + collation + loading in one system |
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* Specific components of the Kestrel are IP69K-rated. System-level ingress protection varies by configuration. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your application.